Substrate-Directed Enantioselective Aziridination of Alkenyl Alcohols Controlled by a Chiral Cation.

Alkene aziridination is a highly versatile transformation for the construction of chiral nitrogen-containing compounds. Inspired by the success of analogous substrate-directed epoxidations, we report an enantioselective aziridination of alkenyl alcohols, which enables asymmetric nitrene transfer to alkenes with varied substitution patterns, including those not covered by the current protocols. We believe that our method is effective because it is substrate-directed, exploiting a network of attractive non-covalent interactions between the substrate, an achiral dianionic rhodium(II,II) tetracarboxylate dimer, and its two associated cinchona alkaloid-derived cations. It is these cations that provide a defined chiral pocket in which the aziridination can occur. In addition to a thorough evaluation of compatible alkene classes, we advance a practical mnemonic to predict reaction outcome and disclose a range of post-functionalization protocols that highlight the unique synthetic potential of the enantioenriched aziridine-alcohol products.

Unveiling the role of boroxines in metal-free carbon-carbon homologations using diazo compounds and boronic acids.

By means of computational and experimental mechanistic studies the fundamental role of boroxines in the reaction between diazo compounds and boronic acids was elucidated. Consequently, a selective metal-free carbon-carbon homologation of aryl and vinyl boroxines using TMSCHN2, giving access to TMS-pinacol boronic ester products, was developed.